Operation apparatus, multi-apparatus system, control method, and storage medium

ABSTRACT

An operation apparatus through which a user operation is performed to control a plurality of controllable apparatuses includes a detector configured to detect the user operation, and a controller configured to acquire information on an arrangement of the plurality of controllable apparatuses and to switch a control target apparatus among the controllable apparatuses when a user operation is detected which inputs a direction corresponding to an arrangement direction of the plurality of controllable apparatuses indicated by the information on the arrangement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an operation of a multi-apparatusessystem.

Description of the Related Art

It would be convenient if a user can control a plurality of controllableapparatuses individually or collectively by operating a single operationapparatus. For example, in displaying a large-screen image by combininga plurality of image display apparatuses (such as projectors), it isnecessary to adjust the luminance and contrast of each image displayapparatus, and the luminances and contrasts of all image displayapparatuses collectively. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-161747discloses a method of displaying a menu screen that facilitates anadjustment of an individual image display apparatus in displaying animage by combining a plurality of image display apparatuses.

However, it is arduous for a user who sequentially and individuallycontrols a plurality of controllable apparatuses, to input or setinformation (such as a remote control channel) necessary for aconnection to a control target apparatus whenever the control targetapparatus is changed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an operation apparatus that can easilycontrol a plurality of control target apparatuses.

An operation apparatus according to one aspect of the present inventionthrough which a user operation is performed to control a plurality ofcontrollable apparatuses includes a detector configured to detect theuser operation, and a controller configured to acquire information on anarrangement of the plurality of controllable apparatuses and to switch acontrol target apparatus among the controllable apparatuses when a useroperation is detected which inputs a direction corresponding to anarrangement direction of the plurality of controllable apparatusesindicated by the information on the arrangement.

A multi-apparatus system having the above operation apparatus alsoconstitutes another aspect of the present invention. A control method ofthe above operation apparatus also constitutes another aspect of thepresent invention. A non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumstoring a computer program for causing a computer of an operationapparatus to execute the above control method also constitutes anotheraspect of the present invention.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of exemplary embodiments with reference to theattached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a multi-display system accordingto a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plurality of laterally arranged projectors.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of vertically arranged projectors.

FIG. 4 illustrates projector arrangement information in the case of FIG.2.

FIG. 5 illustrates a configuration of an operation unit according to thefirst embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart showing processing according to the firstembodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates a configuration of a multi-display system accordingto a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate one example showing operations and displays ofa terminal device according to the second embodiment.

FIGS. 9A to 9D illustrate another example showing operations anddisplays of the terminal device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates a plurality of projectors arranged like a grid.

FIG. 11 illustrates an IP address according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 illustrates a communication packet according to the secondembodiment.

FIG. 13 illustrates a plurality of vertically oriented and laterallyarranged projectors.

FIG. 14 illustrates a projector arrangement state in the case of FIG.13.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, a description will be givenof embodiments according to the present invention.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a multi-display system(multi-apparatus system) 100 according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention. The multi-display system 100 includes a plurality of(three in this embodiment) projectors (image display apparatuses) 101,201, and 301 as controllable apparatuses.

A projector 101 has a light source unit 103 including a discharge lampor a solid-state light source (laser element or the like), a panel unit104 such as a liquid crystal panel and a digital micromirror device as alight modulation element, and an image processor 106 that processes avideo signal from the outside. The image processor 106 generates a paneldriving signal according to the input video signal and supplies it tothe panel unit 104. The panel unit 104 operates so as to modulate theillumination light from the light source unit 103 according to the paneldriving signal. The image light modulated by the panel unit 104 ismagnified by a lens unit 105 and projected on a screen SC. Thereby, aprojection image 102 is displayed on the screen SC. The lens unit 105has a focusing function, a zooming function, an aperture adjustingfunction, and a lens shifting function.

A plurality of panel units 104 may be provided so as to correspond to aplurality of color light beams such as R, G, and B, and to modulate eachcolor light, or a plurality of color lights may be modulated in atime-series manner by a single panel unit 104.

An on-screen display (OSD) unit 107 generates and supplies to the imageprocessor 106 an OSD image signal for displaying an OSD image includinga menu (referred to as an OSD menu hereinafter) for the user to performvarious settings and adjustments, a pointer, various messages, charts,and the like. The image processor 106 generates a panel driving signalaccording to the OSD image signal and supplies the panel driving signalto the panel unit 104. Thereby, the OSD image is displayed on the screenSC together with the projection image or separately from the projectionimage.

A memory 108 stores various setting values, state values, computerprograms, and the like. A communicator 109 communicates with otherprojectors 201 and 301 via a wireless or wired communication line 113.An operation unit 110 has operation members such as buttons and dials,and accepts user operations (referred to as user operations hereinafter)on operation members. The operation unit 110 may be provided integrallywith the projector 101, or may be provided as a remote controllingdevice separate from the projector 101. The controller 111 controls anoverall operation of the projector 101 according to a signal from theoperation unit 110 that is operated by the user.

Each of the other projectors 201 and 301 has the same configuration asthe projector 101, and the same elements as those in the projector 101in the projectors 201 and 301 will be respectively designated byreplacing with first number 1 of the reference numerals of the elementsof the projector 101 with 2 and 3. The number of projectors is notlimited to three, and may be two or more.

FIG. 2 illustrates a multi-display system in which three laterallyarranged projectors 101, 201, and 301 display projection images 102,202, and 302, respectively, and FIG. 3 illustrates a multi-displaysystem in which three vertically arranged projectors 101, 201, and 301display projection images 102, 202, and 302, respectively. For the threeprojectors 101, 201, and 301, information indicating the number ofprojectors, an arrangement direction, an arrangement order, and arotation is generated as information on their arrangement (referred toas projector arrangement information hereinafter), as illustrated inFIG. 4.

The arrangement direction is lateral as illustrated in FIG. 2 andvertical as illustrated in FIG. 3. The arrangement order is shown by (X,Y), where X is the lateral order and Y is the vertical order. When thearrangement direction is the lateral direction, the arrangement order is(1, 1), (2, 1), and (3, 1), and when the arrangement direction is thevertical direction, the arrangement order is (1, 1), (1, 2) and (1, 3).As illustrated in FIG. 10, the arrangement direction has a lattice inwhich the lateral arrangement and vertical arrangement are combined, andthe arrangement order at this time is (1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 1), and (2,2). The lattice includes not only the n×n square lattice illustrated inFIG. 10 but also n×m (n≠m).

The rotation information indicates an installed orientation of eachprojector such as a flat placement (0 degree), a vertical orientation(90°), and a ceiling mount (180°). The projector arrangement informationwhen three vertically oriented projectors 101, 201, and 301 arelaterally arranged as illustrated in FIG. 13 is as illustrated in FIG.14. If the arrangement direction of the projectors 101, 201, and 301 isdifferent from that of the projection images 102, 202, and 302 on thescreen SC, the arrangement direction of the projection images may be setto the arrangement direction information.

Such projector arrangement information may be generated by the userinputting information on the number of projectors, the arrangementdirection, the arrangement order, and the rotation, or may be generatedfrom adjacent information detected from an adjacency status between eachprojector and another adjacent projector or information obtained bydetecting a rotation (installed) orientation of itself. The adjacencyinformation can be detected by a connection sensor or an adjacencysensor provided at a plurality of locations of each projector, and canalso be detected by detection processing from a captured image obtainedby a camera capturing the multi-display system. The rotation state maybe detected by a gravity sensor provided to each projector.

The projector arrangement information is stored in the memory 108together with unique identification information of each projector andconnection detection information between the projectors. Theidentification information is used to identify a model or manufacturingnumber of each projector, or given only within the three projectors.When the arrangement direction of the projectors 101, 201, and 301 andthe arrangement direction of the projection images 102, 202, and 302 onthe screen SC coincide with each other, the connection detectioninformation can be used as the arrangement direction information.

FIG. 5 illustrates the appearance of the operation unit 110 provided inthe projector 101 as the main (parent) projector. In this embodiment,the projector 101 and the projectors 201 and 301 as sub (child)projectors are controlled according to a user operation on the operationunit 110. As described above, the operation unit 110 may be provided asa remote control device separate from the projector 101.

The operation unit 110 includes a power button 501 for turning on/offthe power of the projector, a menu button 502 for displaying an OSD menuon the projector, direction buttons 503 to 506 for instructing up,right, down, and left, an OK button 507 for instructing a decision, andleft, upper, lower, and right switching buttons 508 to 511 for switchinga projector to be controlled (control target apparatus: referred to as acontrol target projector hereinafter) among the projectors 101, 201, and301 to the left, upper, lower, and right. The operation unit 110 furtherincludes a zoom-out button 512 and a zoom-in button 513 that cause thecontrol target projector to zoom in and out (optical zoom or electroniczoom) of the projection image. The operation unit 110 serves as adetection unit that detects the user operation of the buttons 501 to513.

The memory 108 stores the identification information of the projectors101, 201, and 301, the projector arrangement information, and theconnection detection information, as described above. A controller 111selects a control target projector according to a user operation (input)detected by the operation unit 110, or controls for adjustment when thecontrol target projector is the projector 101 (referred to as anadjustment control hereinafter), or makes a communication for causinganother control target projector to perform an adjustment control viathe communicator 109. The adjustment here means adjusting the luminance,contrast, sharpness, or other image quality items of the projectionimage by controlling the image processor 106 or the panel unit 104, andfocusing, zooming, aperture adjusting and lens shifting in the lens unit105 (position of the projected image). In this embodiment, the operationunit 110, the memory 108, and the controller 111 constitute an operationdevice.

FIG. 6 shows processing executed by the controller 111 as a computeraccording to a computer program. In the step S601, the controller 111acquires an arrangement order (X, Y) from the currently control targetprojector.

Next, in the step S602, the controller 111 acquires arrangementdirections Z (horizontal, vertical, or grid) of all projectors.

Next, in the step S603, the controller 111 acquires a switchingdirection D input by a user operation on any of the switching buttons508 to 511.

Next, in the step S604, the controller 111 determines whether or not theswitching direction D is the direction corresponding to the arrangementdirection Z (the same direction). If it is the corresponding direction,it proceeds to the step S605, and if not, it proceeds to the step S613.For example, when the arrangement direction Z is lateral, the switchingdirection D input by the user operation through the switching buttons508 and 511 is the same direction, and when the arrangement direction Zis vertical, the switching direction D input by the user operationthrough the switching buttons 509 and 510 is the same direction. Whenthe arrangement direction Z is a grid, the switching direction D inputby the user operation through any of the switching buttons 508 to 511 isthe same direction.

Next, from the step S605 to the step S609, the controller 111 selects acandidate projector that is a candidate for the next control targetprojector according to the switching direction D. More specifically,when a switch to the left is input by the user operation through theswitch button 508, the controller 111 selects a projector whosearrangement order is (X−1, Y) as a new candidate projector in the stepS606. When up, down, or right switching is input by the user operationthrough the switching buttons 509 to 511, projectors whose arrangementorders of (X, Y+1), (X, Y−1) or (X+1, Y) are selected as new candidateprojectors in the step S607, S608, or S609, respectively.

The controller 111 that has thus selected the candidate projectorsdetermines in the step S610 whether or not there is a candidateprojector. If it exists, the flow proceeds to the step S611, and thecontroller 111 sets the candidate projector selected in any of stepsS606 to S609 to a new control target projector. For example, when theflow proceeds from the step S606 to the step S610, the candidateprojector whose arrangement order is (X−1, Y) is set to a new controltarget projector. On the other hand, when there is no candidateprojector, the controller 111 proceeds to the step S612 and sets thecurrent controlled projector again to a new controlled projector.

Thereafter, when the control target projector is the projector 101, thecontroller 111 performs the adjustment control for the projector 101according to the user operation through the buttons 502 to 503 or 512and 513. When the control target projector is the projector 201 or 301,the control target projector is caused to perform the adjustment controlaccording to the user operation through the buttons 502 to 503 or 512and 513. Then, the controller 111 ends this processing.

When the switching direction D does not correspond to the arrangementdirection Z in the step S604 (not the same direction), the controller111 that has proceeded to the step S613 switches between an individualadjustment control only for the selected control target projector amongthe projectors 101, 201, and 301 (referred to as individual adjustmenthereinafter) and a collective adjustment control of all projectors 101,201, and 301 (referred to as a collective (or batch or simultaneous)adjustment hereinafter). That is, when the individual adjustment iscurrently set, it is switched to the collective adjustment, and when thecollective adjustment is currently set, it is switched to the individualadjustment. In the collective adjustment, the controller 111 performsthe adjustment control of the projector 101 according to the useroperation through the buttons 502 to 503 or 512 and 513, and causes theprojectors 201, 301 to perform the adjustment control via thecommunicators 109, 209, and 309. Then, the controller 111 ends thisprocessing.

In this embodiment described above, for example, the individualadjustment of the projector 101 as the control target projector iscurrently set, and the three projectors 101, 201, and 301 are laterallyarranged as illustrated in FIG. 2. When the user operates the rightswitching button 511 on the operation unit 110, the control targetprojector is switched to the projector 201. When the projectors 101,201, and 301 share the projector arrangement information illustrated inFIG. 4, the projectors 201 and 301 can recognize from the projectorarrangement information that they have been selected as the controltarget projectors. The projector arrangement information is shared amongthe projectors 101, 201, and 301 by the user inputting the projectorarrangement information to each projector, or by transmitting andreceiving data of the projector arrangement information among theprojectors 101, 201, and 301.

When the individual adjustments to the projectors 101, 201, and 301 areswitched to the collective adjustment, all the projectors 101, 201, and301 may accept the user operation for the adjustment control of theoperation units 110, 210, and 310.

The operation of individually or collectively adjusting projectors maybe configured such that a single projector accepts the operation andnotifies the other projectors of the operation contents, or of theadjustment contents.

Switching of the control target projector and switching between theindividual adjustment and the collective adjustment can be performedeven while the adjustment menu is displayed. Thereby, for example, theimage quality adjustment can be performed while the control targetprojector is switched. This is similarly applied when the inputswitching menu is being displayed or the test pattern is beingdisplayed.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 7 illustrates a configuration of a multi-display system 700according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Themulti-display system 700 includes three projectors 101, 201, and 301 anda terminal device 701 serving as an operation apparatus. In thisembodiment, the projectors 101, 201 and 301 are caused to perform theadjustment controls through the terminal device 701. The configurationsof the projectors 101, 201, and 301 are the same as those in the firstembodiment.

The terminal device 701 includes a communicator 702, a display unit 703,an operation unit 704, a memory 705, and a controller 706, and isconfigured as, for example, a tablet computer or a smartphone. Thecommunicator 702 communicates with the projectors 101, 201, and 301 viaa wireless or wired communication line 707. The display unit 703 is aflat display such as liquid crystal or organic EL, and the operationunit 704 is a touch sensor such as a digitizer. The actual operationunit 704 is disposed so as to overlap the display unit 703, and the usercan operate the operation unit 704 with a finger or the like whilewatching the display on the display unit 703.

The memory 705 stores the projector arrangement information described inthe first embodiment together with the computer program and various setvalues. The controller 706 controls the terminal device 701 according tothe computer program, or causes the projectors 101, 201, and 301 toperform the adjustment controls via the communicator 702.

The controller 706 performs the same control processing as theprocessing illustrated in FIG. 6 executed by the controller 111 in thefirst embodiment for the adjustment controls over the projectors 101,201, and 301. Since the operation unit 704 as a touch sensor is providedin the terminal device 701, the controller 706 must detect the directionof a swipe operation (such as a finger sliding operation) as the useroperation on the touch sensor. Therefore, in the step S603 in FIG. 6,the controller 706 acquires the direction of the swipe operation(referred to as a swipe direction hereinafter) as the switchingdirection D. Then, in the step S604, the controller 706 determineswhether or not the swipe direction corresponds to the arrangementdirection Z. The direction corresponding to the arrangement direction Zin this embodiment includes a direction that is the same as or close tothe arrangement direction Z. In the step S604, if the swipe direction isnot the direction corresponding to the arrangement direction Z, the flowproceeds to the step S613 to switch between the individual adjustmentand the collective adjustment.

Unlike the controller 111 according to the first embodiment, thecontroller 706 is not provided to the projector 101 and thus, similar tothe other projectors 201 and 301, makes a communication for causing theprojector 101 to perform the adjustment control according to the settingof the control target projector or the collective adjustment setting.

FIG. 8A illustrates a display example on the display unit 703 in theterminal device 701. Here, a display example is illustrated in which theprojectors 101, 201, and 301 are laterally arranged as illustrated inFIG. 2. A navigation icon 805 and an adjustment menu 808 are displayedon the display unit 703. The navigation icon 805 has three rectangular,laterally arranged frames corresponding to the arrangement of the threeprojectors 101, 201, and 301, and the position of the control targetprojector (or which projector is a control target projector) through theposition of the rectangular frame in inverted black. The adjustment menu808 displays the luminance, contrast, sharpness, or other image qualityitem setting values (adjustment states) of the control target projector.

FIGS. 8A to 8C and 9A to 9D show relationships between the swipedirection for the operation unit 704 on the display unit 703 and thedisplay on the display unit 703. FIG. 8A displays the navigation icon805 showing that the projector 101 is currently set to the controltarget projector, and the adjustment state of the projector 101. In thisstate, when the swipe operation is performed to left 801 correspondingto the arrangement direction, the display of the navigation icon 805 andthe adjustment menu 808 is switched as illustrated in FIG. 8B. Thisallows the user to confirm the fact that the projector 201 is currentlyset to the control target projector and the adjustment state of theprojector 201.

When left 802 is swiped further in the state of FIG. 8B, the display ofthe navigation icon 805 and the adjustment menu 808 is switched asillustrated in FIG. 8C. This allows the user to confirm the fact thatthe projector 301 is currently set to the control target projector andthe adjustment state of the projector 301. When the swipe operation isperformed to rights 803 and 804 corresponding to the arrangementdirections in the states of FIGS. 8B and 8C, the displays of thenavigation icon 805 and the adjustment menu 808 are switched asillustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

When the individual adjustment illustrated in FIGS. 9A to 9C similar toFIGS. 8A to 8C are set and the swipe operation is performed to lower 901or upper 902 that does not correspond to the arrangement direction, thedisplay of the navigation icon 805 and the adjustment menu 808 isswitched as illustrated in FIG. 9D. This allows the user to confirm thefact that the individual adjustments to the projectors 101, 201, and 301have been switched to the collective adjustment and the adjustment stateof the collective adjustment. In the state illustrated in FIG. 9D, whenthe swipe operation is performed for the lower 903 or the upper 904, thedisplay of the navigation icon 805 and the adjustment menu 808 isswitched to the display of the individual adjustment before switching tothe collective adjustment in FIGS. 9A to 9C. Even if the left and rightswipe operations are performed from the state of FIG. 9D, the switch tothe individual adjustment is not performed.

Adjustment items for the individual adjustment and the collectiveadjustment are suitable for them. FIGS. 8A to 8C and 9A to 9C aresimilar for drawing convenience, but they are different originally.

As described above, the switching of the control target projector andthe switching between the individual adjustment and the collectiveadjustment can be operated even while the adjustment menu 808 isdisplayed. The input position of the swipe operation is determined bydetermining whether there is an input to the outside the adjustment itemarea of the adjustment menu 808. Thereby, for example, the image qualitycan be adjusted while the control target projector is being switched.This is similarly applicable when the input switching menu is beingdisplayed or the test pattern is being displayed.

When the projectors 101, 201, and 301 are vertically arranged asillustrated in FIG. 3, the navigation icons 805 are also displayed asthree vertically arranged rectangular frames, and the position of thecontrol target projector is displayed according to the position of theblack inverted rectangular frame. Then, the display of the controltarget projector and the adjustment menu is switched according to thevertical swipe operation, and the individual adjustment and thecollective adjustment are switched according to the horizontal swipeoperation.

This embodiment may adopt the following method as a method of switchingthe control target projector by communications. FIG. 11 illustrates theIP address of each projector stored in the memory 705 together with theidentification information, the projector arrangement information, andthe connection detection information. When the control target projectoris switched as a communication partner, an IP address of thecommunication partner may be switched. In the collective adjustment, allthe projectors may be set to the communication partners by the broadcastcommunication, or communications may be made with all the projectorswhile the IP address is sequentially and individually switched.

As yet another method, the broadcast communications may be always madewith all projectors, and the identification information for identifyingthe control target projector may be included in the communicationpacket. For example, a communication packet illustrated in FIG. 12 maybe defined. This communication packet includes identificationinformation (ID) of a terminal device as transmission source ID 1201,transmission destination ID 1202, a command 1203, and error detectingdata 1204. As the ID, in addition to the IDs of individual projectors,IDs that mean all projectors (such as 0xFFFFFFF) are also prepared. Bystoring the ID of the control target projector in the destination ID,the received projector can recognize that it has been set to the controltarget projector. This is similarly applicable when all projectors areset to control target projectors in the collective adjustment.

In each of the above embodiments, a multi-display system including aplurality of projectors has been described, but a device systemincluding a plurality of other controllable apparatuses may beconfigured.

Other Embodiments

Embodiment(s) of the present invention can also be realized by acomputer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computerexecutable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on astorage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform thefunctions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/orthat includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or moreof the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by thecomputer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out andexecuting the computer executable instructions from the storage mediumto perform the functions of one or more of the above-describedembodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform thefunctions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). Thecomputer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processor(CPU), microprocessor (MPU)) and may include a network of separatecomputers or separate processors to read out and execute the computerexecutable instructions. The computer executable instructions may beprovided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storagemedium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of ahard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), astorage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as acompact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™),a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.

According to each of the embodiments, a user can easily control aplurality of control target apparatuses.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of thefollowing claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent structures andfunctions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2019-183836, filed on Oct. 4, 2019, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. An operation apparatus through which a useroperation is performed to control a plurality of controllableapparatuses, the operation apparatus comprising: a detector configuredto detect the user operation; and a controller configured to acquireinformation on an arrangement of the plurality of controllableapparatuses, to switch a control target apparatus among the controllableapparatuses when a user operation is detected which inputs a directioncorresponding to an arrangement direction of the plurality ofcontrollable apparatuses indicated by the information on thearrangement, and to switch between an individual control and acollective control for the plurality of controllable apparatuses when auser operation is detected which inputs a direction different from thedirection corresponding to the arrangement direction.
 2. The operationapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller acquiresidentification information from each of the plurality of controllableapparatuses and stores the identification information and theinformation on the arrangement in a memory.
 3. The operation apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the detector detects an operation of anoperation member provided in each of a plurality of directions.
 4. Theoperation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects aswipe operation relative to a touch sensor.
 5. The operation apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the information on the arrangementincludes information indicating installed orientations of the pluralityof controllable apparatuses.
 6. The operation apparatus according toclaim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display thecontrol target apparatus among the plurality of controllableapparatuses.
 7. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, whereineach of the plurality of controllable apparatuses is an image displayingapparatus.
 8. A multi-apparatus system comprising: an operationapparatus through which a user operation is performed to control aplurality of controllable apparatuses, the operation apparatus includinga detector configured to detect the user operation, and a controllerconfigured to acquire information on an arrangement of the plurality ofcontrollable apparatuses, to switch a control target apparatus among thecontrollable apparatuses when the user operation is detected whichinputs a direction corresponding to an arrangement direction of theplurality of controllable apparatuses indicated by the information onthe arrangement, and to switch between an individual control and acollective control for the plurality of controllable apparatuses when auser operation is detected which inputs a direction different from thedirection corresponding to the arrangement direction; and the pluralityof controllable apparatus controlled by the operation apparatus.
 9. Amethod for controlling an operation apparatus through which a useroperation is performed to control a plurality of controllableapparatuses, the operating method comprising the steps of: acquiringinformation on an arrangement of the plurality of controllableapparatuses; detecting the user operation; switching a control targetapparatus among the controllable apparatuses when the user operation isdetected which inputs a direction corresponding to an arrangementdirection of the plurality of controllable apparatuses indicated by theinformation on the arrangement; and switching between an individualcontrol and a collective control for the plurality of controllableapparatuses when a user operation is detected which inputs a directiondifferent from the direction corresponding to the arrangement direction.10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computerprogram for causing a computer in an operation apparatus through which auser operation is performed to control a plurality of controllableapparatuses to execute the control method according to claim 9.